Dulcolax Laxative for Constipation User Reviews (Page 2)
Reviews for Dulcolax Laxative
- Cat...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- August 31, 2018
"I was feeling like I needed to go #2 all day, and I just couldn't do it. At the end of the day, I decided to take 2 Dulcolax pills because it says adults can take 1 to 3. WORST MISTAKE EVER. I went to bed after midnight and got up after 1 a.m. because of stomach pain but couldn't get anything out. I went to bed again and got back up after 4 a.m. and spent 2 hours in the bathroom. The abdominal pain was the worst pain I had felt in my life. I vomited 3 times and eventually got the cold sweats. I could even hear my bowels loudly gurgling at points, and my bowel movements came out like someone turned a faucet on. This kept happening in intervals. The medicine certainly did its job by emptying me out (top and bottom), but I will never be using Dulcolax again. Horrible experience."
- Lou...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- September 13, 2018
"The most excruciating pain of my life! I’m not sure how these are allowed on the market!? They may relieve constipation, but in such a dangerous way! DO NOT TAKE! Shaking, sickness, unbearable pain, and fainting!? I think I’d rather be constipated for the rest of my life than endure the last few hours I have. I’ve recently had a laparoscopy, so I’m tender and sore as it is. The anesthetic or the pain relief they gave me has caused me to be constipated for the past 4 days. I took 2 tablets at 8 am this morning and fell asleep, woke up at 12 in excruciating pain. I have had a bowel motion, but totally with the extreme pain. I’m still suffering 8 hours later. This should not be allowed on the market!"
Frequently asked questions
- Which drugs cause opioid-induced constipation?
- Dulcolax - How long does it take for bisacodyl to clear your system?
- Anonymous
- Taken for less than 1 month
- June 26, 2016
"I took Dulcolax last night around 9 pm. I woke up around 2 am with extremely bad abdominal pain. I was sweating and felt like I had to vomit. This lasted for 45+ minutes. It became so bad I had to take Aleve to alleviate the pain. I finally went back to sleep and had my first BM around 6 am. I had the second one at 8 am. No severe cramping, just bloating and discomfort. Will be happy when it's over. I will never take this medication again."
- age...
- July 21, 2017
"People with anxiety are quite sensitive to reviews. I am a sufferer and thought the reviews might have been mildly exaggerated. What worked for me: 1. Took ONE pill. Crushing or cutting in half only reaches the stomach, which severely limits the response of these pills. They are time-released to work right when it hits the lower bowels. Do not over-exert yourself, the pill will work. Within 25 minutes, I had my first BM that was the bulk of my constipation. RELIEF. 2. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. This helps the pill to evacuate with cleaner results. Since it uses so much of your body's own water, drinking helps greatly with staying hydrated. Drinking water also limits the amount of time your body has bowel contractions, as mine were very, very mild."
- Lea...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- February 10, 2023
"Good news is that it works. I sh*t myself, the bed, my pants, and two XXL adult diapers. Bad news is I screamed and moaned in pain for nine hours while my guts bubbled and twisted as if I were giving birth to Satan himself. I prayed for the end, and I didn’t even care if that end came while my pants were down around my ankles. Summary: yes, you will sh*t, so it does what it says. The gentle part is an absolute lie. It felt like I was birthing a rhinoceros out of my anus. Read the reviews and proceed with caution. You have been warned."
- Emb...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- November 4, 2019
"I was on vacation, two plane rides, and five hours in the car. I knew I was going to be constipated. I took two Dulcolax in the morning, at once. The next day we went to a state park. There was a porta potty and nobody else at the park. I had to go… immediately. Because it was a public bathroom and a porta potty, I squatted and didn’t sit down. My poop came out of me so fast that it went all over the entire toilet in a giant pile. I felt great after, and when I got back into the car, I could not stop laughing. I did not get cramps the entire experience. Another car pulled up with two women, and they went towards the bathroom. My friend and I hightailed it out of there. I would rate it a 10 out of 10, but don’t go anywhere for a day or two if you take it."
- Anonymous
- Taken for less than 1 month
- October 19, 2017
"I had been constipated for 4 days with no bowel movements at all. So I decided to try Dulcolax pink. I took two tablets at 6 pm last night and drank a ton of water. I felt completely fine, went to bed around 11, and woke up to the worst pain of my life at about 2:30 am. Stomach pains that felt like stabbing and severe vomiting every 10 min. The pain would subside for 10 minutes after the vomiting, and then the excruciating pain would come back just as timed along with the vomiting and cold sweats. I eventually just sat in the shower with hot water running over me because that’s the only way I felt a little relief. It is now about 1 pm, and I finally had a bowel motion and haven’t vomited in 2 hours. Still going to see a doctor. PLEASE DON'T TAKE."
- Ram...
- August 26, 2016
"I love this product! You have to stay hydrated to not feel abdominal pain. If you do not drink any water, the pain is horrendous. If you wake up at night or are drinking it during the day, every time you feel any pain, just consume plenty of water. It can be either room temperature, cold, or even warm, it will help you digest and keep you hydrated."
- Dai...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- July 23, 2019
"This was my first time taking it. Took one pill because my constipation wasn’t that bad. About 2 hours after I took the pill, I found myself sitting on the toilet, peeing out of my butt and throwing up. I would rather be constipated than take this medicine. It does its job, but the reward is NOT worth the cost. The medicine works, so the pill itself gets a 10/10, but the experience and satisfaction 0/10."
- Los...
- April 19, 2019
"I am currently on a medication that makes me experience constipation, so I decided today to take 2 Dulcolax to try and empty out. I took it maybe 35-40 minutes ago, and I already have a horrible pain in my stomach. I’ve been sitting on the bowl now for an hour, feeling like I’m going to throw up or poop. It’s horrible. I have cold sweats, and my abdomen has so much pain. I’m afraid to push because I feel like I might vomit if I do. I do not recommend this to anyone."
- Suu...
- April 12, 2020
"I have a stomach that digests very slowly, and the bowels are the same. It takes me three times longer to eliminate food than the average person. I take fiber, drink lots of water, and have a selective diet as a vegetarian who is supposed to eat twelve small meals a day for digestion. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work! I take Senokot-S at bedtime but am still prone to blockage. I took one Dulcolax suppository. Easy to insert and very quick to act. It was about five minutes, and I had to run to the washroom. I still had to push a bit from the pain, and there was a burning sensation! It went away as soon as I started passing more stool. I still have pain in my left side, so I know I’m still full of poop, lol. If I don’t have a bowel movement tomorrow, I will do a suppository again! Yes, it worked and fast, but for me, once I get impacted, I was told I may need to do things twice! On a side note, I was told to drink Gatorade while unplugging myself due to water and electrolytes being lost."
- Fin...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- September 4, 2016
"I'm a 29-year-old woman who recently has voluntarily lost 40 lbs (from 220) after having emergency gallbladder surgery that could have been prevented had I chosen healthier, less fatty foods for years. Now I suffer from IBS with constipation, and the pain from that brings me to tears. After trying everything else, I grabbed Dulcolax pink, and I couldn't believe it. It cleared my colon out, and I lost 3 lbs of poop weight. I knew what to expect (side effects-wise) with this type of laxative. This works better than magnesium citrate for me. I just felt the normal belly rumbles that come with taking a huge poop. I even loved the fact it still worked the next day. I went to work and everything. I took 2 pink pills with a liter of water at 8 pm. Thank you."
- Jan...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- July 2, 2021
"I used this after an appendectomy to counter the constipation from that and pain meds. Took two and had no adverse reactions and a good BM 12 hours later. Things were still not quite back to normal, so took 2 more after a couple of days. Within 2 hours or less, was overcome with intense stomach cramps. Another BM at that point, but no relief from the cramps. Started to feel sweaty and pale, and it hurt so bad I was afraid it was an adverse effect from the appendectomy, so called 911. Normal vitals, so was advised that laxatives can have this extreme effect. Constipation is way better than this."
- Lee...
- January 3, 2014
"I've taken one Dulcolax last night around 10. This morning I had severe cramps in my stomach, went to make a bowel motion. Now I feel better. I'm still a little crampy, but I think everything came out. I recommend it to anyone constipated."
- owa...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- October 26, 2019
"I've got gastroparesis-like symptoms. Basically, I'm always constipated. However, I'd prefer my current condition of a distended stomach for weeks rather than the agonizing 24-48 hours this hellish medication provides. I took 1/2 a tablet (where the dosage is 1-3), and 6 hours later, cramps. Then, an hour after that, I'm vomiting, passing out, and awakening with a killer headache and the most pathetic result. 10 hours after, if you're lucky, you might pass something resembling stool, but good God, I wouldn't recommend it. The nausea isn't worth it, you'll be seeing spots for days, and the cramps are absolutely ridiculous. I am yet to find a laxative that doesn't make me throw up, but this is by far the worst. The bad news is that I got a pack of 100."
- Rab...
- September 15, 2019
"I had been feeling constipated for a few days, got fed up, and decided to take 1 Dulcolax that happened to be in the medicine cabinet. I’ve never taken a laxative in my entire life, so didn’t know what to expect. Very unpleasant cramping (about two hours after taking 1 pill), followed by somewhat ‘normal’ (at least not rock hard) stool shortly after the cramping/bloating began, and then a few minutes later, crazy diarrhea. Sounds like I got away with minimal discomfort, though, compared to what others have written. I made sure I kept drinking water—sipping a bit every few minutes after taking the pill. I believe this might have helped, but I can’t imagine taking 2 or even 3 at once; that sounds insane! This stuff does its job, but can result in some very painful bloating and projectile diarrhea—but I’ve never taken other laxatives, so not sure if this is the ‘norm’. But personally, I’d rather go through the pain than be constipated."
- Pai...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- May 26, 2019
"I feel like something is blindly tearing at the bowel while sucker-punching me in the stomach to make me puke. I took the 'drop' form in water at about 6 pm last night, been awake since roughly 7 am with the worst pains in my stomach, and it's radiating through to my lower back. I can't sit up. It's now 11:36 am and I have fever-type symptoms, been vomiting, I have only done a couple of solid rabbit-type poos so far, and to top it off, my rectum and anal canal feel so swollen. Hallelujah!!!!! I finally saw some action in the form of a projectile poop. It was not pretty, but the stomach pains have lowered in intensity. Honestly, I would rather be constipated than take these drops again. Worst pain I have ever felt. I was about to call an ambulance but read this first!!!"
- Bru...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- December 2, 2014
"I have OIC - Opioid-induced constipation. Most of the time it works; sometimes it does not. I also take Lactulose and Miralax when required as well. I'm confined in a convalescent hospital. I've had this constipation for over 2 years. Opioids are the best meds for my severe chronic pain."
- Sat...
- May 20, 2019
"I had been extremely constipated for about 4 days, so I finally gave in and took 2 Dulcolax as directed (says 1 to 3, so I went with the middle dose). About 5 hours later, it hit me, and I had to run to the bathroom quickly. I spent the next 1.5 hours dumping tons of liquid out of my colon every 10 minutes. I felt extremely thirsty afterwards, so I drank just a little bit of water, maybe 3 or 4 oz. 5 minutes later, I was back in the bathroom for another round of 30 minutes of expelling quarts of the worst smelling brown water on the planet. I'm sure it could be weaponized! The stuff works, but too well. You're better off with the constipation. Just wait it out or try a stool softener. The pain of passing a cement poo or throwing up and using an entire roll of toilet paper and a half a box of wipes pales in comparison."
- Ash...
- July 20, 2014
"Noticing that I hadn't had a bowel movement in almost 6 days, I purchased this product and took 2 around 3 a.m. I woke up around 8:30 a.m. with the most pain I've ever felt in my life. I gave childbirth naturally with no medicines, but this, by far, felt almost the same. I felt nauseous and had a frequent flow of bowel movements. I got sweaty hot, then so cold I would shiver in a matter of seconds apart. I even felt faint, and my vision got blurry. After drinking 2 bottles of water, I felt somewhat of a relief in pain, but not 100%. If you need a bowel movement, this is your product, but it HURTS! Try a stool softener instead."
- Jak...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- November 3, 2019
"One Dulcolax tablet is enough for a teenager with severe IBS. It lasts 16-18 hours after the first movement you have. To prepare, make sure to use butt cream, it makes it so it’s an extra layer of skin, so your butt doesn’t get raw."
- Bec...
- March 21, 2017
"I'm on a lot of various meds. I normally take my Greens from 'It Works' to get 12 servings of fruits and veggies, 32 herbs, vitamins, and superfoods. However, I have the worst case of fibro. So, if I'm having a bad flare-up for a few days, I only eat once, and it's pasta. This combined with all of my meds totally backs me up! I've tried suppositories once and did NOT like it! I've used Dulcolax in the past and loved the results that I received. So, since I needed some relief so I can get back to normal, I took the 3-pill maximum with a full glass of water. It worked beautifully! I was holding onto 3 lbs of fecal matter! NO cramps with plenty of water!"
- Ind...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- September 27, 2013
"It's going to cause cramps and discomfort because it stimulates the bowel to move. I put up with the discomfort because other laxatives aren't as effective for me. I'd suggest using Dulcolax with a separate stool softener, right before bed. Maybe even take stool softener in the afternoon, then Dulcolax at bedtime. I slept through cramps and had a movement in the morning. When I took it in the late afternoon, the cramps were pretty bad. Drink water/liquids lots."
- Pha...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- March 31, 2019
"I've taken it three times. The first time did the job. The second and third times, I had extreme pain and dry heaves. It was horrible! The second time, I had two rounds of this but thought it was just an exception. When I tried it the third time, it sealed the deal for me. Pain, dry heaves, dizziness, and I desperately wanted out of my misery. Looking for a better way."
See also:
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"I give it a 2 because I was no longer constipated within a few hours after taking it, but the stomach pains, as many have posted, are excruciating when the box says relief is 'gentle,' and I specifically bought the pink one for sensitive stomachs. I have not yet had a child, but it is what I imagine giving birth feels like. I have been doubled up since yesterday because of the pain in my stomach and severe nausea that makes me feel like I am going to throw up at any minute. I am not getting relief from the pain after bowel movements and have been sobbing because of the pain to the point that my boyfriend wanted to take me to the ER. I am trying to stay hydrated with lots of water like others have suggested, but it is difficult with my stomach."